Bale-tying mechanism



May 6, 1,930. D. M. mp'soN I 1,757,817

BALE TYI NG MECHANI SM Filed Aug. 5, 192'? SK if? 52 55 17 F B2 E' CII Patented MayY 6, 1930 PATsNT orifice DVIIGHT M. SIMPSON, OF CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA B ALE-TYING MECHANISM Application filed .Elugust 5, 1927. Serial No. 210,909.

My invention relates to bale-tying mecha nism, and particularly to such mechanism for use in presses.

One object of my invention is to provide mechanismV which'may be applied to the presses now in use, and which. will perform automaticallyseveral operations which have heretofore been carried out manually.

Another object of my invention is to arrange bale-tying mechanism within each division block so that the invention is applicable to presses now in use by a simple alteration of the press structure.

I will describe one form of bale-tying mechanism embodying my invention and will then point out the novel features thereof in claims.

ln the accompanying drawingr- Figure 1 is a broken View, taken substantially on the line 1-1 of Fig. 2, showing a division block embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the block shown in Fig. 1; Y

Fig. 3 is a sectional viewV showing the manner of using the block shown in Fig. 1';

Fig. 4is a sectional view on the line IV' IV of Fig. 3; and i Fig. 5 is a bottom viewpartly in section showing the mode of operation of the block shown in Fig. 1. Y

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts in each of the several views.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2,-the reference character B designates a follower or division block, such as generally used in hay presses or similar machines, and comprising a plurality of strips 1 of wood, fastened to side posts 35so as to form a rigid'laminatedl frame structure. In practice it may be de- 1*' sirable to reinforce this frame withA metal in 5:3 an opening 7 and a similar opening through which the cog wheel meshes with gear 3. In similar manner, the cog wheel8 is mounted in two races 9 and 10 supported adjacent an opening 11 and an opening through which the teeth of the cog wheel mesh with the teeth of gear A flexible cable 14`is arranged to rotate the gear wheel 3 in one direction, a handle 15 being attached to such cable and being supported from a suitable support 16. A coiled spring 12 is secured at its inner end to the axis 2 and at its outer end to a stationary post 13, so that when the handle 15 is released the spring operates to rotate the gear 3 and the cog wheels 4 and 8 to such a position that the tension is partially removed from the spring. Accordingly, when the handle 15 is pulled, the cable 14 operates to rotate the gear wheel 3 in one direction and also the cog wheels 4 and 8 in the op` posite direction. Mounted on the opposite faces of the gear 3 are two fiat steel cutting blades 17 and 18, the blade 18 being arranged to contact closely with the face of the cog wheel 8 when the gear 8 is rotated in a clockwise direction, and, similarly, the blade 17 cooperates withthe cog wheel 4. In practice each of these cutting blades should extend over substantially as many teeth on gear 3, as there are teeth on the cog wheel with which it cooperates. The blades, moreover, are so arranged thatithey do not come Vin contact with their associated cog wheels until gear wheel 3 Vhas madesubstantially a complete revolution.

Pivotally mounted adjacent the openings 7 and 11 and near the bottom of the. block B, are two wire guiding members 19 and 20, respectively. It should be noted that the openings 7 and 11 adjacent the cog wheels 4 and 8, respectively, are slightly off center with respect to these cog wheels for a pur- Vpose which will appear hereinafter.`

ReferringV now to Fig. 3,-the reference character 21 designates the bahng` chamber of a press, here shown as of the type generally used in baling hay. This chamber is rectangular in cross section and carries above it the usual block setter 25 pivotallynmounted V'at 26 and having an operating handle 27. A

baling chamber 21 and a plunger 23 operated in any suitable manner cooperates to compress the hay within the baling chamber when it is fed into the feed chamber 22. Mounted above and below chamber 21 are tour spools of wire S, S17 S2 and S3, as best shown in Fig. 4. These spools are mounted in any suitable manner by means oit supports E and each spool carries a reel of baling wire for the purpose of tying the bales as they are formed in the chamberl 21. rlhe spools S and S2 are mounted above the chamber 2 1, and the spools S1 and S3 are mounted below the chamber, and each spool is provided with a ratchet mechanism designated K with an exponent corresponding to the spool with which it is associated, which keeps the wire under tension and prevents it from feeding too tast and becoming slack when a bale is passing through the baling chamber. This mechanism comprises a ratchet wheel 36, a pawl 37 and a spring 38 for pressing the pawl against the ratchet wheel. lt will be clear trom an inspection ot Fig. 3 that this mechanism allows the spool to rotate in a counter-elock wise direction when the wire is placed under tension but offers considerable resistance to such rotation.

The Wires from the spools S1 and S pass through suitable openings in the betteln et' the chamber 21 and over roller* X, which are provided for the purpose ot guiding these wires and reducing the friction between the wires and the bottom ot the chamber l. l/Vhen the division block, such as L2 sho 'n in F ig. 3, is mounted on the block setter 25, the wires passing from spools S and S2 pass through the slots 'i and 11, respectively, in the block, and due to the tension on the wire, rotate the cog wheels l and 8 and the gear 3 to such a position that the wires are removed approximately 18()O from the openings in which they enter. This action is due to the mounting of the cog wheels 4 and 8 slightly ofi" center and makes it possible to have the wires above the chamber reach slots between the cogs on cog wheels 4; and 8 in positions opposite to the openings Z and 11 as best shown in Fig. As shown in Fig. 3, the chamber 21 contains a completed bale of hay 28 partially tied and a bale 32 which is completed ready for the first tying operation. These bales are separated by the division block B which is ready to perform the tying operation, while a. second division block B1 has just been placed within the chamber before the bale 28 is forced out of the chamber by succeeding strokes of plunger head A third division block B2 is mounted in position ready to be placed in the chamber 21 by the block setter 25 as soon as the next bale has been completed. It will now be clear that when the parts occupy the position shown in Fig. 3, the handle 15 in division block B may be pulled in such manner as to rotate the gears within this block and to twist the wires coming from above and below the chamber together to form ties, as indicated at and 31. rEhe speciiic manner in which this operation takes place is more clearly shown in 5", in which. the ties have been completed and ie cutting blades 17 and 18 have severed one strand oi the wire passing through the associated cog wheel. It will also be clear that this operation not only completes the tying and the separation of the bale 28, but at the same time ties and separates the bale 32, so that a single operation completes the tying of the back end oi the out-going bale and the Yfront end of the entering bale.

The operation of the mechanism shown in Figxr, is as oliowsz-issuming that the baling chamber 21 is empty, the wire from spool S is iirst drawn down and twisted gether with the end of the wire coming from spool S1. ln a similar manner, the wire Jtrom spool S2 is brought down and twisted with the end oi the wire coming from spool Si". A small quantity oit hay is then placed in the feed chamber 22 and forced back into the baling chaniber 21 by operation of the plunger head 23, thus forming a backing 'lor the iirst bale. After this operation is completed the division block is placed in position on the block-setter 25, and the wire from spool S is 1 1 l" 1 threaded through tne slot t, and in a similar manner the wire from spool S2 is threaded through the slot 11. After this operation is completed, the division block is dropped into he chamber and hay is lied into the feed chamber 22 with the plunger-head 23 operating. During each stroke of the plunger the hay will be forced into the baring chamber 2l and the division block will be advanced through the chamber drawing with it against the tension of the spring` restrained pawls on the spools, the wires from the upper and lower spools. A second block is now placed in position on the block setter and the wire threaded through the slots in this block in the manner already described but, et course, there are in this instance no loose ends to be tvisted together (sce Fig. llilhen the irst block which entered the chamber has proceeded tar enough so that the signal is given for another block to be placed in the chamber, the bloei setter 25 a; operated and the second block is placed in the chamber. rlze tension on the upper wires passing from spools S and S2 will be sullieient to rotate the cog` wheels and 8 in their raceways, and these wires will, there fore, pass to the side ot these racewys opposite the slots and will remain there due to the tension ot the wires.

As the second block enters the baling chamber the wire guides 19 and 2O will strike the bottom ot the chamber and will rotate in such manner as to engage the wires coming from spools S1 and S3 and will carry these wires into the slots 7 and 11, respectively. Since the wires Acoming from the top spools are already passing through the notches in cog wheels Il and 8, the wires coming from the lower spools will enter slots in these cog wheels at a position substantially opposite to that of the upper wires, but due to the tension on the upper wires, the relative positions of these two sets of wires will not be changed at this time. As the second block advances through the chamber it will eventually reach a position such that the tying operation for the outgoing bale and the incoming bale may be completed. Ordinarily, a signal bell is provided along the edge of the baling chamber to indicate to the man who feeds the press that it is time to insert another block, and this same signal may be used to indicate to the man who operates the bale-tying mechanism that it is time to tie up the rear end of the outgoing bale and the entering end of the incoming bale. When he receives the signal he will reach into the side of the chamber between .f the guides L on the side of the chamber and grasp the handle 15 and pull it outwardly until the cog wheels 4 and 8 have been rotated sufficiently to twist the ends of the wire together and the cutting blades 17 and 18 have been rotated far enough to completely sever the two wires associated with each tie. In order to enable the wires to be twisted together before the cutting blades contact with them, it is necessary that the gear wheel 3 l make substantially a complete revolution be- L thickness than the cog wheels so that the wires make a sharp angle with respect to gear wheel 3 and are thereby deflected away from the cutting blades except at the point where cutting contact is desired. As a result of this c arrangement the two wires are twisted together before blade 17 encounters the wires passing between the teethof cog wheel l. In similar manner blade 18'does not encounter the wires associated with the cog wheel 8 until after substantially la complete revolution of gear wheel 3 takes place, and blade 18 may pass cog wheel l without cutting the wires associated with it. As soon as the handle 15 is released the coil spring 12 returns the handle to its position within the block, the operating mechanism is returned to the position shown in Fig. l, and the block passes on throue'l the balinoa chamber and outward.

along with the outgoing bale.

Although I have shown the bale-tying mechanism as being adapted for manual operation, it is clear that any suitable mechanism my be provided for actuating this tying mechanism at the proper time. It will also be clear that by providing the proper ratio between the cog wheels l and 8 and the gear 3, the distance through which the handle 15 must be pulled in order to complete the tying of the bales and the severing of the wires, may be made any desired amount.

The'bale-tying mechanism which I provide l may be readily used with the ordinary hay press by very slight modifications, and the same number of division blocks of the spool type whichV I have shown will be required as is usual with the ordinary typeV of block. The handles projecting through these blocks may be positioned on any suitable part of the block in order to provide ready access thereto and such as to make it possible for one man to opcrate the feedino' mechanism of the press and at the same time perform the tying operations without the previous formation of bale ties.

It will, therefore, be clear that the mechanism which I provide not only renders it unnecessary for the wire to be cut into short lengths and looped, as with the usual type of press, but also makes it possible for one man to perform all of the operations necessary to supply hay to the feeding chamber, to place the division blocks, and to tie the bales.

, Although I have herein shown and described only one form of bale-tying mechanism, it is understood that various changes and modifications may be made therein within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I cla-im and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is as follows:

1. A division block for presses comprising a thin flat rectangular structure, a rst gear rotatably mounted on said structure, a second gear meshing with said first gear and in the same plane therewith, said intermeshing gears being constructed and arrangedV to twist baling` wires, a drum secured to said first gear, manually operable means carried wholly by said block for rotating said drum in one direction to perform the twisting operation, automatic means for rotating saidV drum in the other direction, and wire cutting'means carried by said first gear.

2. A division block for presses comprising ajfiat rectangular structure, a first gear rotatably mounted on said structure, a pair of spaced gears meshing withsaid first gear and in the same Vplane therewith, a drum Vsecured to said first gear, manuallyV operable means for rotating said drum in one direction to retate said gears and twist baling wires, automatic means for rotating said drum in the other direction, both of said rotating means being carried wholly by said block and wire cutting means carried by said first gear.

3. A press comprising a baling chamber, spools of wire mounted above and below said chamber, a division block adapted to pass through said chamber and carrying a lirst gear rotatably mounted thereon, a wire receiving and twisting gear meshing with said first gear and arranged to contact with wires from above and below said chamber, means operable independently of said chamber for rotating said gears to twist said Wires together, and wire cutting means associated with said first gear.

el. A division block for presses comprising a thin flat laminated frame, a first gear rotatably mounted in said frame, a pair of gears spaced from each other but meshing with said rst gear and in the same plane therewith, wire guiding means associated with said trame for bringing the wires into engagement with the teeth of said pair of gears, means carried on said frame for rotating said gears to twist the wires together, a pair of cutting blades on said first gear, one cooperating with each of said pair of gears, and spring means for returning said gears to normal position after the wires have been twisted and severed.

5. A division block for presses, including wire twisting and cutting mechanism and manually operable means for setting said mechanism into operation; said means and mechanism being entirely contained within the confines of the block.

6. A division block for presses, including wire twisting and cutting mechanism, manually operable means for rotating said mechanism in a direction to twist and out baling wires, said block having a portion for receiving and guiding said manually operable means, and spring means for returning said mechanism to its initial position after the twisting and cutting operations are completed, all of said means and mechanism being contained within the outlines of the block.

7. A division block for presses, including wire twisting and cutting mechanism, an actuating drum operatively associated with said mechanism, and having a flexible member wound around it, a handle secured to said member for unwinding said member and r0- tating said drum and associated mechanism, said block having a cut-away portion to receive and guide said handle and render it accessible, and spring means for re-winding said member after operation of said mechanism, all of said means and mechanism being contained within the contines of the block.

8. A division block for presses comprising a thin rectangular 'rame, a primary gear mounted substantially centrally of said traine, means carried by said frame for r0- tating said gear, a pair ot secondary gears spaced from each other and meshing with said primary gear, all of said gears being in one plane, wire guiding means associated with said trame for bringing baling wires into contact with said secondary gears, two wire cutting blades carried by said primary one on each side thereof and each cooperfrtirgr with one of said secondary gears, said blades being spaced to allow the secondary gears to make a plurality of revolutions under the driving action or" said primary gear before the cutting blades contact with their associated secondary gears to cut the wires, and spring means for returning said gears to their initial positions after operation thereof.

'n testimony whereof I aiiix my signature lTWIGHT M. SIMPSON. 

